The battle for Brisbane's Victoria Park is far from over - even though police have shut down protests and work has begun on the 2032 Olympics main stadium.
Officers moved in before dawn on Monday to remove the last demonstrators from the inner‑city park, allowing the Games authority to fence off the site and roll in earth‑moving machinery for the $3.8 billion, 63,000‑seat arena.
Premier David Crisafulli turned the first sod, declaring "game on" for the 2032 Games and vowing more than two‑thirds of the park would stay as public green space.
But Yagara Elder Aunty Kerry Charlton said the real contest would now play out in federal heritage processes and the court of public opinion.
She said Victoria Park - known as Barrambin to local First Nations people - had long served as a village‑like hub with burial grounds, birthing places, ceremonial areas and permanent homes, as well as springs and ancient trees.
